In a feature reminiscent of my childhood in which Sunday supper consisted of a smorgasbord of leftovers and a random assortment of other foods, I bring you an assortment of random items of interest from the past week.
Yesterday, I had the chance to go and see Avengers: Age of Ultron. I thought it was awesome. Here’s an interesting perspective on the movie.
The World Map of Christian Apps – great list of a variety of Christian apps along with brief but helpful reviews.
“One sure sign of salvation, and one sure sign of progression in sanctification, is a hatred of sin. This is not only a hatred of sin’s consequences, but a hatred of sin as it is—rebellion against a just and holy God.” – Do You Loathe and Hate Sin?
“It may not be wise to measure your church’s health by exactly how many people showed up on Sunday or attended your new member class last month. But stalled growth can be a sign of deeper problems. Whether your church is stuck or has momentum, take a look at the 5 big reasons churches stop growing, and figure out how you can get – or keep – moving again.”- Carey Nieuwhof from his session notes at Orange Conference in Atlanta.
Our Journey to Biblical Eldership – H.B.Charles provides some practical steps for transitioning to biblical eldership taken from his churches experience.
“Failure to understand our need for community shows that we’ve been more influenced by our culture than we may realize…God does not want us to try to live as Christians apart from intimate and dynamic community with other believers. – Whatever Happened to Community?
Practical tips for growing a “Disciple Making Culture in Your Church.”
Here are some challenging thoughts from John MacArthur on the kind of influence we as parents have on our children.
“…giving advice, no matter how helpful, apart from the truth of Christ can often encourage a recovering Pharisee to add your suggestion to an already long list of things to do to make life work apart from the grace of Christ. Our idol-producing hearts are quick to take any helpful advice and put all our hope in it. We are quick to make a solution into a savior.” – The Problem With Good Advice
Tim Challies offers some great thoughts on the danger of words. “Even though I know how many idle words I speak, I assume that other people mean every word. I allow myself far greater leeway than I allow others. I excuse myself while condemning them.” – I Have Cursed You.
Enjoy this random collection of stuff and be sure to let me know what you’ve been reading or watching that is interesting, enjoyable or helpful.
a pastors ponderings 